Remembering Robin Williams - His Top Five Performances

Today marks two years since Robin Williams died at the age of 63 after his struggle

with depression. I'm still in shock, I can't believe he's gone. 

He made so many films that brought happiness to so many people and that was because of his sense of humour.

However, he was also amazing at dramatic acting, winning an Oscar for his role

as therapist, Sean Maguire, in Good Will Hunting.

In this blogpost, I'll be listing my five favourite films that he was in and the ones I will always remember him for.

Honorable Mentions

These are the Robin Williams performances that are, in my opinion, underrated

and deserve a mention.

Fender - Robots (2005)

Robin Williams' most iconic voice work was as the 'Genie of the Lamp' in the 1992 Disney animated film, Aladdin. As much as I loved him in Aladdin, I think his voice work as Fender in the underrated animation, Robots, deserves a mention. I remember watching this at the cinema at the age of 8 and his character, who is friends with the main protagonist Rodney (voice of Ewan Mcgregor), made me laugh a lot. Over a decade later, I still enjoy watching this film because of Williams' voice work. Like with the Genie, he improvised most of his dialogue which made the character even more likable.

Bob Munro - RV: Runaway Vacation (2006)

This is another film I loved watching when I was growing up. I thought the idea of a father taking his family away in a large vehicle was very funny and it didn't disappoint. Williams plays Bob Munroe who promised his family that he would take them on holiday to Hawaii, unfortunately, he is forced to break that promise because of his job. However, he has a meeting in Colorado and takes his family on holiday there in a large recreational vehicle. This film is full of mishaps and plenty of hilarious moments, especially when Bob and his family meet another family on holiday in a RV. Unfortunately, they're very annoying and won't go away. Williams brings a lot of comedic elements to this film and is the main reason I love watching this film.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower - The Butler (2013)

Robin Williams has proved that, while he may be remembered as a comedian, he can pull of serious and dramatic roles. In my opinion, I think The Butler is underrated as it focuses on a black man, Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), who has a job as a butler at the White House and the many Presidents and life changing events he witnesses. One of the Presidents he meets is Dwight Eisenhower who is portrayed by Williams. It's short but one of the best performances in the film. 

John Keating - Dead Poets Society (1989)

A lot of people will remember Robin Williams for his role as John Keating in Dead Poets Society. Keating was a teacher at an all-boys school who teaches them English and, throughout the film, provides memorable dialogue and says iconic quotes. This is definitely one of Williams low-key performances but no less compelling. The moment Keating begins teaching the class, we become drawn in and feel like we are one of his students learning a lesson. Keating is also accepting of every student for who they are and gives them advice which is a contrast to the other parents and the students' parents. This is an incredibly moving drama and is worth watching if you haven't seen it already.

5. President Teddy Roosevelt - Night At The Museum (2006)

I remember watching this in cinema and thinking it was a great film. I loved the idea of museum artifacts coming to life. Ben Stiller played the night guard, Larry Daley, and is horrified, at first, to discover that the museum comes to life at night. One of the waxworks that comes to life is President Teddy Roosevelt who is portrayed with wit by Robin. I don't think this film would've worked as well without Robin. Larry soon befriends Roosevelt as he helps Larry to take care of the museum. Despite being full of humour, he also has a softer side as he has unrequited feelings for the Sacajawea waxwork but can't interact with her as she is behind glass and she can't hear him. Fortunately, the two manage to finally meet after he saves her life. Williams returned to the role in both of the sequels, The Battle Of The Smithsonian and Secret Of The Tomb.

4. Alan Parrish - Jumanji (1995)

This film used to scare me as a child but, now, it's one of my favourite films. It's full of adventure and features one of Robin's best performances. He plays Alan Parrish who has just been brought out of the board game, Jumanji, after being trapped there for 26 years. In the beginning of the film, we see Alan as a teenager (Adam Hann-Byrd) playing the game with his crush, Sarah Whittle (Laura Bell Bundy), but, unfortunately, things go horribly wrong after a certain move sees him being sucked in the board game. In 1995, his house is now occupied by a woman and her niece, Judy (Kirsten Dunst), and nephew, Peter (Bradley Pierce). The two siblings find the board game and this is where the adventure begins. Alan is brought out of the game but he tells Judy and Peter that the game can't be completed without him and Sarah (now played by Bonnie Hunt). The story is really compelling as we watch the four characters face different things such as: a lion, a group of monkeys, a stampede, a giant spider and many other things. While Hunt, Dunst and Pierce all bring strong performances to the role, Williams stands out because of his sympathetic performance as Alan. Of course, he also brings humour to the character making him really likable. 

3. Daniel Hillard/Mrs Doubtfire - Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

I remember when I first watched this after I bought the DVD when I was about 12/13 and laughing so hard at this film. This is, by far, his best comedic performance. He plays Daniel Hillard who has recently been divorced by his wife, Miranda, as she sees him as irresponsible. She is granted full custody of their three children, Lydia (Lisa Jakub), Chris (Matthew Lawrence) and Natalie (Mara Wilson), much to Daniel's dismay. After failing to get a job and living in an inadequate apartment, Daniel comes up with an crazy yet hilarious idea: to dress up in drag and act as his children's nanny, Mrs Doubtfire. Robin looks unrecognisable as the title character under the wig, make-up and prosthetics. We see Daniel end up in many awkward situations as Mrs Doubtfire and plenty of mishaps. However, it's the sequence at the restaurant that really shows Robin's comedic talent. Daniel has a job interview at the Bridge's Restaurant, coincidentally, this takes place on the same evening as Miranda's birthday and she has asked Mrs Doubtfire to attend her birthday meal which is taking place at the same restaurant. Unfortunately, Daniel can't say no to either and ends up attending both by changing from Daniel to Mrs Doubtfire and then from Mrs Doubtfire to Daniel. This sequence is hilarious to watch and I doubt any actor would've given as good as performance as Robin. It has been said that he adlibbed a lot of his lines which isn't surprising. 

2. Genie of the Lamp (voice) - Aladdin (1992)

Like I mentioned earlier, Robin also voiced the character, Fender, in the underrated animated 2005 film, Robots, but it's his voice work as the Genie of the Lamp that stands out. Like in Mrs. Doubtfire, Robin adlibbed the majority of his lines in this animated film and the many impressions that the Genie does are improvised by Robin himself. He also sings two of my favourite Disney songs, Friend Like Me and Prince Ali. The film focuses on Aladdin (voiced by Scott Weinger) who falls in love with Princess Jasmine (Linda Larkin). Unfortunately, he is a common street walker and she is of royalty and is being forced to marry someone she doesn't love. However, after being sent to retrieve a magic lamp from inside a cave by the evil Jafar (Jonathan Freeman), he rubs it and out comes the Genie and this is where the film starts to become even more enjoyable. Like in the classic tale this is based on, the Genie grants Aladdin three wishes so he can win the love of his life. I think the reason this film was so popular was because of Robin's performance. It entertained both children and parents alike. Children liked the Genie because of his connection with Aladdin and parents loved the many impressions the Genie did. It was the highest grossing film of 1992 (earning over $500 million) which is no surprise. This film will always bring me happiness whenever I watch it because of Robin's incredible voice work as one of the most iconic secondary characters in animated film history.

1. Sean Maguire - Good Will Hunting (1997)

Robin's performance as Sean Maguire is, by far, his best. Maguire is a therapist who is hired to help the title character, Will Hunting (Matt Damon), realise his true potential and direction in life. The film mainly focuses on Will and his relationships with his friends, Chuckie Sullivan (Ben Afflect) and Skylar (Minnie Driver) who Will is in love with. He is also a maths genius and, after assaulting a police officer, begins seeing Sean Maguire. We see Will go through therapist after therapist but none of them help him until he meets Sean. In his sessions with Sean, Will re-evaluates his relationships with his best friend, his girlfriend and himself, facing the significant task of confronting his past and thinking about his future. The scenes featuring Will and Sean in their therapy scenes are the most compelling to watch as we learn more about Will and also Sean. One of the best scenes involves the two sitting outside on a park bench and features a moving monologue from Sean. Another great scene involves Sean telling Will about how his wife used to 'fart when she was nervous'. This scene, of course, was improvised by Robin on the spot and both Matt and the cameraman were generally laughing and so were the many viewers who were watching, including me. I'm so happy Robin won an Academy Award for his performance as Sean, it was well deserved. 

So those are Robin William's five best performances, in my opinion.

Robin is still missed by many everyday. Every time I watch a film that he features in, I feel sad but I then feel happy knowing he is no longer in pain and is at peace.

Thank you for reading this blogpost.

RIP Robin Williams (1951-2014)

❤

A Tribute To Alan Rickman

You may have heard the truly devasting news about Alan Rickman's untimely death from cancer at the age of 69. Like many others, I was shocked by this. He has appeared in so many films and played some of the most iconic characters in filmmaking history. In this blogpost, I shall be listing my favourite films that featured Alan Rickman at his best.

President Ronald Reagan - The Butler (2013)

Alan Rickman's performance in The Butler may be small but it's memorable. The film is about Cecil Gaines (Forest Whittaker), who works as a butler at the White House, and tells the story of all the different presidents he meets, including President Ronald Reagan played by Rickman. His American accent is incredibly accurate and is one of the friendliest presidents Cecil encounters. This is probably one of Rickman's most underrated performances. If you haven't seen this film, I'd definitely recommend it.

Marvin (voice) - The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (2005)

Most people will probably remember Alan Rickman for his iconic voice which was instantly recognisable in his films. In this sci-fi comedy, Rickman lends his voice to a depressed robot, Marvin. The film stars Martin Freeman as Arthur Dent who is suddenly transported aboard a spaceship seconds before Earth is destroyed. This isn't just a great sci-fi, it's a great comedy. This is mainly thanks to Rickman voicing Marvin and his one liners which he says in a very deadpan and sarcastic way. I honestly don't think the film would've been as funny without Rickman lending his voice to Marvin.

Harry - Love Actually (2003)

Not only was Alan Rickman great at pulling dramatic performances, he was also brilliant at comedy. A good example is his performance as Harry in romantic comedy, Love Actually. He is married to Emma Thompson's character, Karen but is having an affair with his colleague, Mia. Throughout the film, we dislike Harry for his affair as Karen is a really likable character and is always trying to see the positive side of things. However, things take an unfortunate turn when Karen finds out about the affair and Harry learns from his mistake. One of my favourite scenes in this film is when Harry and Karen go out Christmas shopping together and he sneaks off to secretly buy a necklace for Mia. He is then approached by a shop assistant, Rufus, played by one of comedy's most iconic actors, Rowan Atkinson, who asks if he would like it 'gift-wrapped'. Harry thinks nothing of it and says yes. However, he soon begins to regret it as Rufus begins to elaborately gift wrap it, despite Harry's frustration. Harry's reaction is what makes this scene so hilarious as all he wanted was to buy a necklace. 

Hans Gruber - Die Hard (1988)

Before watching this film when I was 16, I had no idea Alan Rickman played the main villain, Hans Gruber. I was also shocked to discover this was his first feature film. The reason why this is one of the most popular action films is because of the villain. Alan Rickman's performance as the German terroist is terrifyingly evil as we never know what he plans to do next. It is up to the protagonist, John McClane (Bruce Willis), to try and stop him from achieving his plans. However, the two don't meet until halfway through the film when John runs into him. Unfortunately, John doesn't recognise the villain, at first, as the two have been communicating through radio and Gruber uses this to his advantage by faking an American accent and pretending to be one of the hostages. We, as an audience, know that Gruber isn't who he says he is and desperately want McClane to realise who it is. We are shocked when McClane hands his gun to Gruber but, fortunately, his cover is blown when he tries to shoot McClane but the gun is unloaded. Before McClane can take action, he is pursued by Gruber's henchmen and must find a new way of stopping Gruber. This is one of Rickman's most iconic performances as he pulls off the role of the evil villain really well. 

Severus Snape - the Harry Potter franchise (2001 - 2011) *contains spoilers from the Harry Potter films*

Alan Rickman has played many different characters, both evil and good, both dramtic and comedic. However, I think it's his role as Severus Snape that will be remembered the most. Snape is a professor at the famous wizarding school, Hogwarts and is characterised as a person of great complexity whose coldy sarcastic and controlled exterior conceals deep emotions and anguish. Throughout the whole series, we never truly know whose side Snape is really on: the good or the evil? He spends most of the films being cruel to Harry. We see him as unfair and a bully but it isn't until the fifth film, Order of the Phoenix, when we first start to feel sympathy for him. Through a flashback, we see a young Severus Snape as a student at Hogwarts and being bullied by Harry's father, James. We soon learn that this is why Snape is harsh to Harry. We then learn that Snape isn't as evil as he appears to be but after the events in the sixth film, Half-Blood Prince, when we are yet again confused to which side he is on. We believe his side is with the dark lord, Voldemort and throughout the seventh film, Deathly Hallows Part 1, being against him. However, when he is killed by Voldemort in Deathly Hallows Part 2, we have mixed emotions. Some people may feel happiness at the fact one of the dark lord's servants has died but those feelings soon turn to sadness as we watch his memories. We learn that from a young age, Snape was in love with Harry's mother, Lily. The two were friends before they started Hogwarts but drifted apart when they were put into two different Houses, Snape was put into Slytherin and Lily into Gryffindor which is where she met James. Since then, the two lost their friendship. This is when we feel sympathy for Snape. When Harry's parents were killed by Voldemort, he was the one who found their dead bodies and, in a truly heartbreaking scene, we see him crying and hugging Lily's lifeless body. It's in this sad montage we learn who Snape really is and we finally see that, all along, he was a good person deep down. It is thanks to Rickman's performance as the iconic character that we feel all different emotions towards him. I couldn't imagine anyone else being a better Snape. 

So those were the films I shall remember him by.

This is a truly sad day and Alan Rickman will be missed by thousands of people, at all different ages.

Thank you, Alan Rickman, for bringing life to iconic characters and making so many films enjoyable to watch.

Rest In Peace ❤